JOURNEY TO GEORGIA.
After a march of sixteen hours to the south-east through woods, we arrived at the place called Kúr, of a thousand fine houses and a mosque, on the frontier of Dághistán, not far distant from Táyeserán, the residence of Mikhál Sháh, Prince of Dághistán. Every Friday people flock here together to buy and sell, not for money, but by exchange. There are ten thousand inhabitants, all Sunnís and Sháfiítes. I saw no women at all here; the women of Dághistán are not allowed to leave the house, excepting on a journey to Mecca, or to be carried to the cemetery after death. The men are hospitable. We left this place, passed a ruined castle in the midst of woods, and then entered the great district of the Avárs: it is a district belonging to the khass of the Prince of Dághistán, and during three days journey we saw seventy great kents with mosques and kháns.
This ancient town was built by Hormúz the son of Núshirván; it was wrested from the hands of the Princes of Dághistán by the Persian Sháh Kor Khodabende, and fell into those of the Ottomans, who destroyed the castle that it might not be used as a defence against them; it is now a large ancient town situated on the border of Mount Caucasus, belonging to the government of Aresh. According to fabulous history it was in this town that Solomon set up his throne, which had been carried through the air by Genii, when he came with Balkis and an immense army to view Mount Caucasus; this is why it was called the throne of Lán, a Persian word signifying both a nest, and one who walks or travels. It is situated between the towns of the gate of gates, Shamákhí, and Niázabád, but is not much cultivated as it is on the extremity of the frontier, its gardens are few on account of the coldness of the climate; there are three thousand houses with terraces, and some mosques not much frequented, seven baths, eleven caravánseraïs, and seventy shops: as we remained here but one night, it was impossible to see much of it. It is the seat of a Khán, Judge, Kelenter, Darogha, and Munshí, and has a garrison of a thousand men; there are a great number of Sunnís, who get their living by cleaning cotton. The waters which give life to the plantations of cotton, all issue from the west side of Mount Caucasus, and fall into the Kúr. We marched for some hours towards theKiblah, to the district of Khata a dependence of the Princes of Dághistán, a woody tract comprising three hundred kents, with mosques, kháns, and gardens. We remained here for three days as guests, and continued our journey on the fourth to the district of Zákhor, consisting of a hundred and fifty villages and large kents, governed by Yússúf one of the Princes of Dághistán, who commands seven thousand brave warlike men; the Beg, with whom we spent a night, presented me with fifty skins of wild cats, and I gave him three handkerchiefs embroidered by Sultána Kia.
He was a great Saint. The Divines of this country, all learned Doctors, have no enmity amongst themselves, but they shun all communication with the Reváfes (heretic Persians). Here ends Dághistán, and the province of Georgia begins.
The frontier castle Ur belongs to the Persians; we passed it on our left, and skirted the boundaries of the castle of Shekí, which I formerly saw on my way to Shamákhí, and arrived at the kent of Zakhorie on the frontier of Tamarass-khán, belonging to the Khán of Tiflís; the inhabitants are all Georgians, Armenians, and Gokdúlák.
This town is situated on the frontier of Georgia and now governed by the Persians. It was built by Núshirván to keep the tribes of the Caucasus in order. It is a pentagon castle, fourteen thousand large paces in circumference, with one hundred and seventy bulwarks, three gates, two thousand houses within the castle, a mosque, a bath, and a khán. Its waters, so many springs of life, issue from the west side of Mount Caucasus, and after irrigating the gardens fall into the Kúr to the eastward. The climate being rather cold, its silk is not much praised. The inhabitants are Georgians, Armenians and Gokdúlák; the Sultán commands a thousand soldiers, all Shiís, and there are twelve civil commanders and a judge. Sháh Ismail liked its climate so much that he remained here three years before the battle of Cháldirán, and built a suburb outside of it, so that it bears much likeness to the town of Kaschau in the middle of Hungary. After the loss of the battle of Cháldirán, the Ottoman flying troops arriving at this town destroyed it, and since that time many thousand loads of stones have been carried away by Ferhád Páshá for the repairs of the Castle of Aras. The Sultán of this place accompanied me, out of kindness, to the next station, and we passed the night in Khodraí, a kent of a thousand houses, with a mosque, khán and bath, on the frontier of Tiflís.
According to the author of the Sheref-námeh, this town was first built by Betlís the Treasurer of Alexander, who also built the castle of the same name in the province of Ván; its name is now Tiflís, which for a long time was a great Persian government, till in the time of Sultán Murad III. Lala Kara Ferhád Páshá with an immense army undertook the conquest of Georgia, and conquered Chaldír and seventy castles. Daúd Khán, who was then governor of Tiflís, garrisoned it with forty thousand men, and fortified it in all possible ways. On the other side the Ottoman commander summoned the town to surrender to his Emperor; at an assembly held on this occasion it was advised to send back the bearer of the summons, and to put themselves into a state of defence, but the more prudent foreseeing that they would not be able to make resistance, they all fled away one night, and left the Castle without defence. The Ottoman commander pursued them with the greatest speed, and came up with the Khán of Tiflís at the Castle of Zekúm, where he had entrenched himself with all the treasures carried away from his capital. A great battle ensued, in which no quarter was given by the Ottoman victors, and forty thousand Persians were cut to pieces. The booty taken by the Ottoman army was immense; the Aghá of the janissaries with seven regiments of his corps was sent to garrison Tiflís, and the castle of Zekúm was taken in the year 956 (1578). A few days after, the Castle of Kerím also fell. I have not seen the Castle of Zekúm, but I saw that of Kerím without entering it, when passing through the plain of Kákht. Lala Ferhád pursued his victory as though he had been on a hunting party; he took twenty-six great and small castles, some of which he destroyed, and some he repaired, placing a Dizdár in each, and made his entry into Tiflís amidst the greatest demonstrations of public joy. He fortified this castle to such an extent, that no fortress of Georgia or Azerbeiján is equal to it, except that of Bakú and Megú. The province was given with the rank of a Begler Beg to Mohammed Páshá the son of Ferhád Páshá, then in possession of the sanjak of Kastemúní; its works were repaired, and its stores completed. He sent the keys of no less than seventy large and small castles to the Ottoman Court and then returned himself to Constantinople. After his departure the Persians besieged the town of Tiflís for the space of seven months. The garrison being in the greatest distress for food, eat their dogs first, and then the dead; the famine was so great that the dog belonging to the Súbashí Alí sold for seven thousand aspers. At last the governor of Erzerúm, Mustafa Páshá, arrived with a flying troop, put the Persian General to flight and relieved the garrison. Hassan Páshá the son of the Grand Vezír arrived with a caraván, bringing three thousand camel loads of provisions, which were placed in the Magazines of the small castle. In short, this fortress remained in the hands of the Ottomans from the time of Sultán Murad III. till that of Sultán Mustafa, when the Persians united with the Georgians took the castle by surprise, and gave it up to the Sháh; and it has remained ever since in the hands of the Persians. It is the capital of Georgia, to which belongs sixteen Sultáns, seventy judges, forty districts and seven tracts called Oimák. Three-tenths of Georgia are occupied by the province of Tiflís; the khán commands two thousand soldiers, it has also a judge and twelve public officers in honour of the twelve Imáms.
It consists of two castles opposite to each other on the banks of the Kúr which separates the rocks on which they stand, and which are connected above by a bridge leading from one castle to the other. The great castle is on the south side of the Kúr and the small one on the north of it. This river rises in the mountains of Chaldir, passes Erdehán, Akhiska, and Azgúra and flows into the Caspian Sea; the Persian historiographers say, that its waters are supplied from a thousand and sixty sources; it is the largest river in these countries next to the Euphrates. The circumference of the largest castle is six thousand paces, the wall sixty cubits high, with seventy bulwarks, and three thousand battlements, but no ditch; the water-tower which supplies water to the garrison in time of siege is situated on the Kúr. In the castle are six hundred houses, terraced, some with and some without gardens, the palace of the Khán, a mosque and a bath. The small castle was built by Yezdejerd Sháh, it is of stone, in a square form with only one gate at the head of the bridge, and has no Bezestán or Imáret.
Three thousand watchmen light fires every night, and continually cry Khoda Khob (all’s well.) Though it is a Persian town, yet its inhabitants are for the most part Sunnís and Hanefis from the time of the Ottomans.
The white bread of Tiflís, and the peaches are renowned; the vegetables exquisite; there is no silk, but most excellent grapes: all these productions prosper through the quantity of rain water which falls, and do not require water from the Kúr, this is the case with an hundred and fifty towns and villages, which it passes on its way.
On the east side of the large castle a hot-spring boils out of the ground without the assistance of fire; sheep’s heads and feet are cooked therein. There are also several pilgrimages at Tiflís, as those of Imám Hossein Efendí, Rizwán Agha,Jem Alí Efendí, &c. Tiflís is five hours distance from Kiákht, from the Castle of Aras, four journies, and the same from that of Genje. We took from the khán two hundred men to accompany us, and received three tománs for the expenses of the journey.
It stands on a chalk cliff, is of a square form, and belongs to the district of Tiflís. The castle Lorí near Tiflís was seen on our right side in the mountains, but we passed it at a great distance.
Though a small castle on a hill, yet it is extremely strong and high: it is one of the oldest castles of Georgia built by Núshirván. Its inhabitants are Georgians, Gokdúlák and Armenians. We proceeded four hours to the west, and reached the old town Azgúr: according to the author of the Sheref-námeh, it is the oldest town in Georgia, and was built by Alexander. In the Georgian language Azgúr signifies the King of Kings. The immense blocks of stone used in the formation of the walls, show that it must have been built by Alexander, because five hundred men of the present age would not be able to move one of them; it stands on a high hill, and is of a square form; it has one gate opening to the south, a mosque, a bath, a khán, and forty small streets; the gardens are beautiful owing to the mildness of the climate; the river which passes below it, issues from the mountains of Akhiska through which it passes, and waters the gardens of the town, falling into the Araxes. This town being on the frontier of Gurgistán Shúshád, the inhabitants all speak Georgian.
One,árí; two,úrí; three,sám; four,otkhí; five,khotí; six,egsí; seven,shudi; eight,revaí; nine,khújraí; ten,atí; bread,púrí; water,chígál; meat,kharj; wine,ghita; cherries,bák; pears,bishál; figs,lefi; grapes,kúrzení; hazel-nuts,inikhlí; melon,nesú; &c.
Their first kings were Jews, then Dadiáns and Shúshád, from whom originated the people of Gúriel, Achikbásh, and Mingrelia, who are all Christians. They speak twelve different languages, and only understand each other by the aid of interpreters. The purest language, according to their opinion, is that of the Shúshád and Dadián. If the dynasty of the Moscovites should be extinguished,the Princes of Georgia would succeed. The Aiza and Cherkessians who are an Arabic colony, have no books at all; according to the histories of their priests they descended from Keikavús, and then from David.
There was formerly here a Queen who pretended to reign unmarried; one night having drank with some young men, she was violated by one of them, and got with child, which happened to be a girl. To get rid of the ravisher, the Queen sent him fowl-hunting on a frozen canal, when the ice broke, and the man was swallowed up, so that all talk about the matter was at an end. The daughter married a Prince named Begdiván, and had three sons, who when of age, divided Georgia into three parts. The first Prince obtained the district of Cotatis otherwise called Básh Achik, and its inhabitants derive their descent from him. To the second, Simon, was allotted the district of Tiflís; and to the youngest, the province of Bághat; from the latter, the Dadiáns derive their lineage. This Dadián Prince was a just monarch, and even now the whole of Georgia pay homage to the Princes of Achikbásh and Dadián. When Sultán Selím I. was Governor of Trebisonde, he lived on good terms with the Beg of Achikbásh, and spent some time in the castle of Cotatis, and when he ascended the throne after Bayazíd II. he exempted by a Khattí-sheríf, the inhabitants of Achikbásh from all gifts and duties, a privilege they enjoy up to the present day; since that time it has only been the custom to send annually falcons and fine youths as presents to the Porte. We left the castle of Azgúr, and going westward through woods and fields, we arrived all well at Chaldirán and Akhaskha.
This strong fortress of Akhaska is also spelled Akhachka, Akhjaska, Okhaskha, and Oksakha, according to the difference of the languages of the surrounding people. In the Imperial register it is laid down by the name of Chaldir. The builder was Núshirván, the great Persian monarch who built the Ták Kesra. He used to spend six months of the summer here, on account of its climate. It would be too long to relate all the changes that this place underwent under different kings. The first moslim conqueror of it was Heshám Ibn Abd-ul-Melek, of the family of the Ommiades, who, proceeding from Syria with an immense army, conquered Aintáb, Mera’ash, Malátia, Haleb, Diarbekr, Erzerúm, and this castle of Akhaska, which then became the Capital of Georgia. He also conquered Genje, Shirván, and Derbend, and returned to Damascus. Kara Yússúf, the Prince of the dynasty of the Kara Koyúnlí, not being able to resist the arms of Timúr, fled to Bayazíd I. for assistance, and Sultán Uzún Hassan became the possessor of the castle of Akhaska. Paying homage to Timúr he was put inthe number of eleven tributary princes, that marched by the side of Timúr’s horse, who conferred upon him, the province of Azerbeiján. It afterwards came into the power of Sháh Ismail of the Safí family, who chose Akhaska for his summer quarters and subdued the whole of Georgia. He ravaged the Ottoman provinces, and pushed his incursions up to Sivás, the granary of the Ottoman capital. Selím I. was then governor of Trebisonde, and many times pursued the Persian troops. Having himself ascended the throne, he immediately began the Holy war, and fought the famous battle on the plain of Chaldir, which cost the lives of one hundred thousand Persians, and nearly that of Sháh Ismail, who had a narrow escape. He then conquered the castle Akhaska, and subdued the whole of Georgia. A survey of it was commanded, and it was assigned as a government to a Páshá of three tails. As this town is the frontier of Gúrjistán (Georgia), Turkistán, and Kurdistán, in immediate contact with Persia, it was declared a separate Eyálet or government, of which the following is the description in the Kanún-námeh of Sultán Súleimán. The sanjak of Chaldir consists of thirteen sanjaks, the officers are a public treasurer of the timárs (Timár Defterdárí); an inspector of the rolls (Defter Emíní); a kiaya, an inspector and a secretary of the Chaúshes, (Chaúshlar kiayassí, Emíní, and Kiátibí). The sanjaks are as follow: (1) Oltí; (2) Khortíz; (3) Ardíkh; (4) Khajrek; (5) Erdehán; (6) Postkhú; (7) Mákhchíl; (8) Achárpeník; (9) Akhachka, the seat of the Páshá. There are also four hereditary sanjaks Yordlik, or Ojáklik, viz. Portekrek, Lesána, Nussf Levána, and Shúshád; making in all thirteen.
Khass of the Beg of Oltí, two hundred thousand and seventeen aspers; Portek, forty-six thousand two hundred and nineteen; Ardenj, two hundred and eighty thousand; Erdehán, three hundred thousand; Shúshád, six hundred and fifty six thousand; Lesána, three hundred and sixty-five thousand; Khartíz, two hundred thousand five hundred; Khajrek, three hundred and sixty-five thousand; Postkhú, two hundred and six thousand five hundred; Makhjíl, twenty thousand three hundred and eleven; Ajára, two hundred thousand; Penek, four hundred thousand.
The ziámets and timárs are altogether six hundred and fifty-six swords, which with the Jebellis form eight hundred men; and with the troops of the Páshá fifteen hundred troops. In the sanjak Oltí, three ziámets, a hundred and thirteen timárs; Erdehán, eight ziámets, eighty-seven timárs; Ardíkh, four ziámets,forty-two timárs; Khajrek, two ziamets, seventy-two timárs; Khartíz, thirteen ziámets, thirty-five timárs; Postkhú, twelve ziámets, twenty-eight timárs; Penek, eight ziámets, fifty-four timárs; Sászín, seven ziámets, thirty-two timárs; Khatla, nineteen ziámets, seven timárs; Isper, four ziámets, fourteen timárs. These feudal troops are commanded by their Yúzbashí (Lieutenants), Cheribashí (Captains), and Alaï-Beg (Colonels). They possess a thousand and sixty villages on condition of going to war when called upon, the annual revenue of which amounts to three hundred and twenty Ottoman purses. In the time of Selím I. the Páshá of this province, commanded those of Erzerúm, Sivás, Mera’ash, Adana, and Rakka. The place of a judge with the rank of Molla was given to Ramazán Efendí with five hundred aspers, now it has a judge with three hundred aspers; he may however annually collect from the districts belonging to his jurisdiction, the sum of eighty purses. The Khass of the Begler-beg amounts to four hundred thousand aspers; the garrison consists of two thousand men, regular troops, with an Aghá of the janissaries, of the Jebejí and of the Topjí. In the year 1044 (1634) the Persians became masters of Chaldirán, but after the conquest of Eriván, Canaan Páshá was sent by Sultán Murad IV. with an immense army who conquered the fortress of Akhachka, and put it in a good state of repair, in which it is kept by the Ottomans, up to the present time.
It is a square castle built of stone, standing on a chalk cliff, with two gates and about a thousand houses without gardens covered with terraces. One of the two gates leads to the east, and the other to the west, there are twenty-eight mosques. The old mosque in the upper castle is covered with earth. There is no Imáret (religious foundation) covered with lead in this fortress. The mosque of Kunbet-oghlí is also covered with earth, and without a minareh. In the lower castle is the mosque of Khalíl Aghá. Besides the five legal prayers a day, there are certain lectures in all these mosques on the Korán and tradition, but there are no private rooms or establishments for these lectures. The Muderris (Professors) hold them in the mosques, the students (Thelebe) are numerous. The suburb outside of the castle is well built, and its baths pleasant, but the bath inside the castle is very small; the best is that outside the eastern gate of the castle, the waiters are fine Georgian boys; there are a great number of kháns; no vineyards (Bágh), but in some places gardens (Bághje); a large number of gardens of fruit trees (Mushebek-bostán) full of valuable trees, well watered by springs. The water of this place comes from the mountains of Uda, waters the fields of the town, goes straight to the castle of Arghán, and falls near the Castle of Kúrehktinto the Araxes. The passage between the castle and the suburb is established by a bridge; the suburb is not surrounded by walls; the market consists of about three hundred shops, but no Bezestán of stone. The temperature of this place being fresh and invigorating its people are strong and brave also; the Páshá Sefer Páshá, by birth a Georgian, is one of the most wise and virtuous Vezírs of the Ottoman Court. Eriván is six journeys from Akhashka to the east, and mid way is the Castle of Karss. From Akhaskha to Tiflís is five journeys towards the north-east, to Genje five journeys direct east, and seven journeys to the north is the castle of Georgia. The fortress of Akhaska is situated between them all in the plain of Chaldir.
The castle of Khartíz near Chaldir was conquered in the year 886 (1481), by Lala Páshá, together with the castle of Adhil, and the castle of Perkán near Chaldir at a journey’s distance, situated between two high mountains on a high hill. The castle of Cotatis is two journies distance from Chaldir, it is the capital of the district of Ajikbásh near mount Perírat. It is the proper residence of Georgia otherwise called Shúshád, and Selím I. when governor of Trebisonde, sometimes came hither to divert himself. It was created by him a hereditary province (Ojáklik), the khass of which amounts to six thousand and six aspers. There are no ziámets and timárs. The castle of Khajrek, situated between Akhachka and Erdehán, is the residence of the Sanjak-Beg of Burdehán, and was conquered by Lala Páshá; the Khass amounts to three hundred and sixty-five thousand aspers, six ziámets and twenty-two timárs. The castle of Shatán, which by mistake is called Sheitán Kala’am, (the Castle of Satan), was conquered by Ferhád Páshá in the year 990 (1582); it is situated near Chaldir, on a steep rock. The castle of Kizlar (of the maiden) near Chaldir, on the border of the river Jágh, is a magic castle. The castle of Altún (gold), the conquest of Lala Páshá, is three hours distance from the latter. The castle of Odoria near Chaldir, the conquest of Lala Páshá. The castle of Al near Akhaska. The castle of Postkhú, which is the seat of a Sanjak Beg in the province of Akhaska, was conquered by Lala Páshá in the year 998 (1589); a jurisdiction, the judge of which is appointed with one hundred and fifty aspers. There is an Alaï Beg and Cheríbashí. Shúshádistán is the name of one of the principal provinces of Georgia, governed by a Begler-beg. Shúshád, the castle, has no judge. Shúshádistán is a mountainous tract full of precipices. The castle of Kharbe on the border of a valley, is a steep castle. The castle of Ardíkh, the seat of a Sanjak-beg in the province of Chaldir, a conquest of Lala Páshá. The castle of Akhanjí, the seat of a Sanjak-beg. The castle of Jághirmán nearChaldir, conquered by Lala Páshá. Besides these castles there are a great number of others seen on the great road. Georgia is indeed a fine and well cultivated country. After having seen all this, I took leave of Sefer Páshá, who presented me with two Georgian boys, a horse, and a hundred piastres; I took an escort and began my journey westward to Erzerúm.
We passed the summer quarters of Ulghár, and arrived at the end of four hours at the castle of Kínava on the frontier of Ardehán; we passed through a mountainous tract and at last arrived at the Castle of Kara Ardehán, which was conquered in the time of Selím I. and made the seat of a Sanjak Beg; the khass is three hundred thousand aspers, eight ziámets, and eighty-seven timárs; an Alaï Beg, (Colonel); Cheribashí, (Captain); Dizdár, (Commander of the castle); are the commanding officers of the garrison, which consists of two hundred men; the whole contingent in war time including the troops of the Beg amounts to one thousand men. The judge is appointed with a hundred and fifty aspers. There is no Nakíb-ul-ishráf (head of the Sheriffs or relations of the prophet) and its Muftí resides at Akhaska. The castle is built on a rock, and is five hundred paces in circumference; it is not commanded by any neighbouring height, it has two hundred and seventy towers, and three gates. A company of armourers (Jebejí) of the Porte, is in garrison here. In the town, the family establishment (Khandán) of Kia Páshá is the most renowned.
The castle of Wálá, conquered by Lala Páshá 987 (1579); the castle of Kermek, conquered by Lala Páshá in the year 982 (1574); the castle of Akhársin, conquered by Lala Páshá in the year 982 (1574); the castles of Mamerván and Nazarbán, the latter built by Ghází Sefer Páshá in the year 1053 (1643); the castle Kense Dusál in the district of Erdehán on a hill; its water flows to Erdehán. The houses all have terraces; there is no college, but a school for boys. No gardens on account of the temperature, which is rather cold. Its fruits come from the castle of Tortúm and Acháras; the inhabitants are all Sunnís, and live by agriculture. This castle is five journeys to the east of Erzerúm; and Karss is one journey’s distance from Erzerúm by the way of Kargha-bazár. We then passed westward sometimes on a stony and woody ground, sometimes in rich meadows, and arrived at the castle of Gúle. It was built by Levend-Khán, a Georgian Prince, and is the seat of a Sanjak Beg, the khass of which is three hundred thousand aspers; it has a Colonel, Captain, Dizdár and garrison; it isan elegant castle on a chalk hill. Eight hours further to the west, we reached the castle of Penek also named after its Georgian builder, it is the seat of a sanjak Beg subordinate to Chaldir; its khass is four hundred thousand aspers. Its feudatory militia with the troops of the Beg are a thousand men; there is a judge with a hundred and fifty aspers, no market nor garden. The water of the river is very good, its subjects are Armenians, Gokdulak, and Georgians. Seven hours further is the Castle of Uliní, built by a Georgian king, and conquered by Sultán Selím; it is the seat of a Sanjak Beg, whose Khass is two hundred thousand and seventeen aspers. And has a Colonel, a Captain, a Judge with a hundred and fifty aspers, a Dizdár, and garrison; the castle stands on a chalk hill with two gates, one opening to the east, and the other to the west. At the foot of the castle flows the river Oltí, which waters the gardens of the town, and enters the Aras on the Kiblah side. The houses are all inhabited and covered with terraces. There are a number of mosques, a khán, a bath, garden, and school for boys; its beauties are celebrated. The inhabitants are good moslims. From hence we travelled direct north, and came at the end of two hours to the castle of Maverván built by the Georgian Kings, and conquered by Lala Kara Mustafa Páshá; it is the seat of a Sanjak Beg subordinate to Erzerúm, whose khass amounts to two hundred and three thousand aspers; the officers are a Colonel and Captain of the feudal militia. The militia of the Beg amounts to fifteen hundred men; the judge is appointed with a hundred and fifty aspers. The castle is of a square form and gigantic size, standing upon a hill; its gate looks to the Kibláh, there are eight hundred houses, a mosque, a bath, and a khán, the inhabitants are almost all poor people. Three hours further on to the west, is the village Aide Mamerván, a village inhabited by Armenians and Moslims. Further on among bleak mountains is the village Karakunk, it belongs to the district of Erzerúm; we passed the straight of Georgia and arrived at the village of Osmúdúm Sultán, a fine kent of a hundred houses on the border of a high mountain; it is situated at the very source of the Euphrates, which issues from a cavern in the mountain of Dúmlí Sultán, a delightful, refreshing water, which seems to be alluded to in the Korán by the verse: “I gave thee the Keuther.” Trouts of a cubit’s length sport in it; their bodies are ruby-coloured and interspersed with smaragdine spots. Umúdúm Sultán the Saint, who is buried here, protects these fish, so that it is impossible to catch them; but a farsang below they are taken by fishermen, and fill the brains of those who eat them with ambergris; however much a man may eat, he is never incommoded by them. The Pilgrimage to Rúmlí Sultán is much frequented. We marched five hours to the south, on the plain of Erzerúm and entered it, God be thanked! in perfecthealth. Before I changed my dress, I laid the letters and presents of the khán of Eriván at the feet of my gracious Lord the Páshá, and gave him a detailed account of all the castles, towns, kents and villages, which I had seen on my journey. He gave me a splendid dress and three hundred piastres bath-money, besides two purses, which he assigned to me on the extraordinary revenues of the custom-houses. I had remained scarcely a week, when a message arrived from the Khán of Eriván complaining that some of the soldiers of Karss had molested one of his caravans, and requesting that an Aghá might be sent to convey the caraván safe to Erzerúm. In consequence of this letter I was sent back into Persia on the tenth day.